Scottsdale (Arizona) – The First Classic Car Auctions of the Year

The Scottsdale and Phoenix collectors’ cars sales in Arizona are the first major classic car auctions each year. Several auction houses, including Barrett-Jackson, Bonhams, Gooding and RM Sotheby’s participate in this weeklong event that usually see well over 2,000 cars on offer.

The first significant collectors’ car auctions of the year are held each mid-January in Scottsdale, Arizona. This weeklong commercial event currently have all major classic car auctioneers competing (except Mecum). RM Auctions, Gooding & Co, Bonhams, and Barrett Jackson regularly achieve over a million dollars on select vehicles but many other smaller auctioneers also participate covering cars in all price classes.

Scottsdale Classic Car Auctions

Photo: Barrett Jackson

The annual January classic and collectors’ car auctions in Arizona are generally referred to as Scottsdale, even though many of the sales are in adjacent Phoenix, Arizona. It is the first major classic car event of the year and one of the biggest.

In contrast to many other classic car auction events, the Scottsdale week has purely commercial origins. The auctions have been an annual event since the 1970s but the first Arizona Concours d’Elegance was only held in 2014 but cancelled from 2018 as not commercially viable

Scottsdale, Arizona Classic Car Auction Results

The Scottsdale week is big. The figures for the various auctions held in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona, as calculated by Hagerty, were as follows:

–

Scottsdale Total*

Barrett-Jackson

Bonhams

Gooding

RM Sotheby’s

Earning 2018 ($ million)

247.8

112.3

25.2

49.2

36.0

Earnings 2017 ($ million)

259.8

101.0

36.3

33.3

53.7

Cars Sold / Offered 2018

2668 / 3176

1709 / 1729

94 / 108

110 / 129

110 / 127

Cars Sold / Offered 2017

2899 / 3486

1703 / 1711

86 / 105

105 / 125

142 / 159

Sell-Through % 2018

84

99

87

85

87

Sell-Through % 2017

83

100

82

84

89

Average $ 2018

92,887

65,692

267,649

447,415

327,641

Average $ 2017

89,601

59,323

422,376

317,492

378,248

Million $ Cars 2018

33

5

7

12

9

Million $ Cars 2017

35

2

7

9

15

*Scottsdale total also include results from Russo and Steele, Worldwide Auctioneers and Silver.

In 2014, the following five participating auction houses grossed $245 million ($226 million in 2013) by selling 1,837 vehicles (2,029 in 2013). RM Auctions earned $45.6 million from 126 lots on offer, Gooding & Co made $49.4 million from 158 lots, and Bonhams $25 million from 101 lots. Barrett Jackson, which held auctions on six days, moved 1,399 cars for a total of $113 million in sales (including the most expensive Corvette ever). Russo and Steele earned $21 million.

The auction record for Scottsdale / Arizona is $9,900,000 achieved by a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2016 auction. The previous record was $9,625,000 paid for a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM sold at the 2015 RM Auctions Arizona sale. This car broke the previous record $9,405,000 set only a day earlier for a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione at the 2015 Bonhams Scottsdale classic car auction and the $8,800,000 achieved for a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti at the RM Auctions’ Arizona sale in 2014.

More on Scottsdale 2019 Collector Car Auctions

The first major collector car auction series of the year is traditionally the Scottsdale and Phoenix auctions in Arizona, USA, in mid-January.

Most major car auctioneers have sales in Arizona including Barrett-Jackson, Bonhams, Gooding and RM Sotheby’s. A notable exception is Mecum that start the auction year a few weeks earlier at Kissimmee in Florida.

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